2021-2022
Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science (accelerated masters degree option)
VCU
Community college:
Associate of Applied Science: Police Science (G3 program) (Piedmont Virginia Community College)
Associate degree
Program description
The L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs is a creative, interdisciplinary grouping of programs in the social sciences and professional arenas that provides students with the knowledge, skills and experience necessary for success in public service. The Wilder School brings together faculty from multiple disciplines that share a common interest in public affairs.
The major objective of this degree program is to prepare students for effective professional careers in criminal justice, forensic crime scene investigation, public service and other helping professions, and/or prepare them to pursue studies in law and other related graduate programs. Career opportunities are available in federal, state, local and private justice-related endeavors. These careers include law enforcement, crime scene investigation, juvenile justice, corrections and the courts.
This program also prepares students to enter law school or to pursue graduate studies in criminal justice or in several of the human services fields, usually related to justice. This program offers and encourages in-service justice employees and others to enhance their professional career development through higher education.
Career opportunities
Criminal justice students study the causes of crime, treatment of offenders and management of the criminal justice system, with a focus on balancing social justice and individual rights. Wilder School graduates typically pursue careers in public service and work in law enforcement, the court system, corrections or public policy. Students will learn under faculty experts in criminal justice, criminology, law, juvenile justice, organized crime, law enforcement, corrections, and transnational crime.
Bachelor-level job titles
- Child Protection Agents
- Child, Family, and School Social Workers
- Correctional Officer and Jailers
- Court Clerks
- Crime Scene Analyst
- Criminal Investigators and Special Agents
- Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary
- Police Detectives
- Police, Fire and Ambulance Dispatchers
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
- Retail Loss Prevention Specialist
- Security Manager
Graduate and professional level job titles
- Attorney
- Forensic Scientist
- Government Agency Administrator
- Mental Health Counselor
Contact information
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
Guaranteed transfer admission requirements
Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
- MATH 131
- STAT 208
Science required
- Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
- Yes
Additional tuition/fees
- No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
- 2.0+ cumulative GPA, 2.0+ major GPA
Transfer major map
2021-2022
Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science (accelerated masters degree option)
Piedmont Virginia Community College (Associate of Applied Science: Police Science (G3 program))
| MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY | DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Review PVCC Steps to Enrollment information.
- Register for SDV 100.
- Schedule an advising appointment with your advisor.
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use Academic Support Services or the Student Success Office to get ahead.
- Start your math sequence and pass ENG 111-112.
- Cultivate relationships with your professors.
- Check on G3 funding for your AAS program.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Review VCU's Wilder School website for course requirements and possible connections with faculty and peers.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend cultural events at community college and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
- Attend VCU’s annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Browse careers related to Criminal Justice through the Virginia Wizard.
- Review the resources of the Student Financial Resource Center to look into building a financial future.
- Build a LinkedIn profile.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways on the VCU website.
- Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
- Take a career assessment through the Virginia Wizard.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
- Explore the VCU Wilder School website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi and professors.
- Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use Academic Support Services or the Student Success Office to get ahead.
- Schedule an advising appointment every semester.
- Explore the accelerated BS to MS in Criminal Justice program.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Research housing for next year.
- Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the Wilder School, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
- Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Wilder School-related events.
- Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
- Attend Career & Internship Fairs at community college or VCU to explore your interests.
- Plan to complete at least two internships (job experiences) before your senior year of college.
- Create a draft resume and bring it to career services advisor or workshop for review.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
Recommended courses
2021-2022
Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science (accelerated masters degree option)
Piedmont Virginia Community College (Associate of Applied Science: Police Science (G3 program))
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDV 100 | College Success Skills | UNIV 101 | 1 | Elective |
| ADJ 100 | Survey of Criminal Justice | CRJS 181 | 3 | Major |
| ADJ 130 | Introduction to Criminal Law | CRJS 1XX | 3 | Elective |
| ADJ 131 | Legal Evidence | CRJS 1XX | 3 | Elective |
| ADJ 201 | Criminology | CRJS 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| ADJ 229 | Law Enforcement and the Community | CRJS 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| ADJ 236 | Principles of Criminal Investigation | CRJS 2XX | 3 | Elective |
| ADJ 133 | Ethics and Criminal Justice Professional | CRJS 1XX | 3 | Elective |
| ADJ elective | ADJ 140 Introduction to Corrections | CRJS 253 | 3 | Major |
| ADJ elective | Select one: ADJ 115, 116, 133, 161, 227, and 232. | CRJS 1XX/2XX | 3 | Elective |
| ENG 111 | College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education |
| ENG 112 | College Composition II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education |
| ITE 119 | Information Literacy | INFO 160, 161, 168 | 3 | Elective |
| MTH 154 | Quantitative Reasoning | MATH 131 | 3 | General education |
| PLS 211 | U.S. Government I | POLI 103 | 3 | General education |
| PLS 212 | U.S. Government II | POLI 1XX | 3 | Elective |
| Elective | MTH 155 Statistical Reasoning | STAT 208 | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| PSY 200 | Principles of Psychology | PSYC 101 | 3 | General education |
| SOC 200 | Principles of Sociology | SOCY 101 | 3 | General education |
| Humanities | Select 1: ART 101, 102; MUS 121; CST 250; PHI 100, 200; REL 230 | VCU equivalent | 3 | General education |
| Social Science | Select from approved PVCC list | VCU equivalent | 3 | Elective |
| PVCC credits transferred to VCU | 61 | |||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Science: Criminal Justice with a concentration in Justice | |||
| CRJS 254 | Introduction to Policing | 3 | Major |
| CRJS 355 | Criminological Theory | 3 | Major |
| CRJS 380 | Research Methods in Criminal Justice | 3 | Major |
| CRJS 475 | Criminal Procedure | 3 | Major |
| CRJS 480 | Senior Seminar | 3 | Major |
| CRJS | Select six CRJS upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses) | 18 | Major |
| GVPA 100 | Making Policy Real: Social Problems and Policy Solutions | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses): consider a minor or a second major Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. | 15 | Elective | |
| Open elective | 8 | Elective | |
| Credits completed at VCU | 59 | ||
| Bachelor's degree total | 120 | ||
| Bachelor of Science: Criminal Justice with a concentration in forensic crime scene investigation | |||
| CRJS 254 | Introduction to Policing | 3 | Major |
| CRJS 355 | Criminological Theory | 3 | Major |
| CRJS 380 | Research Methods in Criminal Justice | 3 | Major |
| CRJS 475 | Criminal Procedure | 3 | Major |
| CRJS 480 | Senior Seminar | 3 | Major |
| CRJS 320 | Principles of Criminal Investigation | 3 | Major |
| CRJS 370 | Criminalistics and Crime Analysis | 3 | Major |
| CRJS 373 | Crime Scene Evidence: Law and Trial Procedure | 3 | Major |
| CRJS 425 | Violent Crime Scene Investigation | 3 | Major |
| CRJS | Select two CRJS upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses) | 6 | Major |
| GVPA 100 | Making Policy Real: Social Problems and Policy Solutions | 3 | Major (Ancillary) |
| Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses): consider a minor or a second major Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. | 15 | Elective | |
| Open elective | 8 | Elective | |
| Credits completed at VCU | 59 | ||
| Bachelor's degree total | 120 | ||